https://has2k1.github.io/why-now

Who I am

  • Hassan Kibirige
  • A Data Scientist, A Software Engineer.
  • I work at a Posit, PBC

The Start of my Journey

  • Started in 2011, No Data Science
  • After one year, a lot of Data Science
  • Then more an more Data Science and everywhere

Change is disorienting

  • Why do we have a new name for this work
  • Why not call it Data Analysis or Applied Statistics or …
  • What is so special about this moment

A Painting by Paul Gauguin

A Painting by Paul Gauguin

The inscription:

Where Do We Come From?

What Are We?

Where Are We Going?

My Lesson

When intellectually disoriented, turn my disorientation into questions.

  • Does everyone need Data Science?
  • How is it be that I (a Ugandan) is starting on this Data Science thing at the same time as everyone else.

Why is Data Science Necessary?

What is Data Science?

  • Defining things is hard

  • Two words

    1. Data
    1. Science

What is Science?

Science is the study of living things and non-living things.

Meaningless

 : Where is Hassan?

 : He is in the Universe.

What does science mean to the general public?

  • Scientific equipment
  • Setting (Laboratory)
  • Equations?
  • Scientist

Historically we have known about the world through our 5 senses.

 : I know what you are thinking.

And interpreted by our brains.

Our senses

  1. Sight

  2. Smell

    • Gas Molecules

  3. Taste

    • Liquid Molecules
    • Chemical sensing, just like taste

  1. Hearing

    • Pulsations of the air

  2. Touch

    • Pressure & Temperature sensing by the skin

A loop hole in the sense of touch

  1. Temperature

    Goal: Minimise the temperature difference. Touch something at 36°C/37°C (body temperature)

  2. Pressure

    Goal: Minimise pressure at point of contact

What are we going to touch?

  • Solid
    • hard to regulate temperature
    • you have to be very gentle
    • no suprise factor
  • Gas
    • Hard to contain
  • Liquid
    • Easy to contain
    • Easy to regulate the temperature

Steps

  1. Get a cup full of water to 37°C
  2. Close your eyes and gently lower your fingers straight down towards the surface of the water.

Equipment & Setup

Observation

When your fingers brake the water surface, you will not feel it.

Senses are not enough

We cannot even calibrate them

Greeks

  • 2600 years ago
    • Had enough time to think
    • Understand the world starting from what they could observe
    • Start of Philosophy
  • Disagreements
  • After 200 years
    • Logic (Valid Thinking)
    • No Disagreements

From the Greeks

  • To the Romans
  • To the Early Islamic Civilisation
    • Key influence from Indian sources

Western Europe

  • 15-17th centuries, rehabilitated Philosophy by borrowing from logic and mathematics
  • Ideas are only means to conclusions you can prove
  • Natural Philosophers (Scientists)
  • Scientific Method

What is Science?

Science is the practice of evaluating evidence using sound reasoning to gain insight.

Scientifically Literate

What is Data?

Recorded information

What is Data Science?

The practice of evaluating recorded information with sound reasoning to gain insight

Why Now?

Data has been around for along time

How come the practice of data science is new

Google Ngrams to the rescue

Google Ngrams - “Data Science”

Why Now (for us)?

Is it because we have a lot of data?

Thank You